Vietnamese children ferried across village river In plastic bags, they had no other way to get school

Going to school in Huoi Hua, a Vietnamese province, is not the usual hop on and hop off your public transport.

Sometimes you have to get into a large plastic bag and have your family ferry you to the other side of the river.

Source: Vov.vn

According to Vov.vn, these things happened due to the rain season. During this time the bridges made of bamboo are extremely difficult to use, and oftentimes even rafts get swept away.

“We have warned local residents of latent risks to travel through the stream by plastic bags, but the swift-flowing water can also sweep rafts away, so they have to choose this way. Earlier, a local person was injured in a capsized raft here,” said Vang A Po, chairman of the Na Sang Commune.

Source: Vov.vn

Having no other choice, parents would securely place a child in an oversized plastic bag and fight the current to safely bring them to the other side from where they would head off to school on a five-hour journey through rough terrain.

This forces many children to stay in school for the week, returning only for the weekend.

Source: Vov.vn

Source: Vov.vn

Тhe lack of funds and the rural nature of the village proved to be insurmountable obstacles last year, even though stronger bridges were proposed to the municipality.

As turns out, the issue has been pressing Vietnam for some time now, as this 2013 video shows. 

What are your thoughts on this? Would you send your children to school this way if you had to? Let us know in the comment section below.